Action potential

An action potential is a wave of electrical discharge that travels along the membrane of a cell.

Action potentials are an essential feature of animal life, rapidly carrying information within and between tissues.

They are also exhibited by some plants.

Action potentials can be created by many types of cells, but are used most extensively by the nervous system for communication between neurons and to transmit information from neurons to other body tissues such as muscles and glands.

May 10, 2010  Scientists have used a genetic light source to measure brain signals. Electrical currents are invisible to the naked eye -- at least they are when they flow through metal cables. In nerve cells, ... read more

Sep. 12, 2007  Scientists are reporting the first discovery of conduction of excitation without action potentials. This opens up new perspectives for research by breaking away from the classic concept of neuronal ... read more

Mar. 10, 2009  Scientists have discovered a new form of electrical signaling in different plant species. This electrical signal -- called "system potential" -- is induced by wounding of the plant tissue ... read more

Feb. 7, 2008  Compelled to mate, yet firmly attached to the rock, barnacles have evolved the longest penis of any animal for their size -- up to 8 times their body length -- so they can find and fertilize distant ... read more

Mar. 24, 2014  A new subcellular mechanism for reliable, fast transmission in the so-called basket cells of the brain has been discovered by researchers. Basket cells play a key role in information processing in ... read more

Mar. 25, 2014  Small peptides attack bacteria in many different ways and may well become a new generation of antibiotics. Biologists have been researching how such peptides kill bacterial ... read more

July 15, 2007  A semiconductor membrane designed by researchers at the University of Illinois could offer more flexibility and better electrical performance than biological membranes. Built from thin silicon layers ... read more

May 27, 2014  The importance of cell surface receptors for estrogen has the potential to change how researchers view the hormone's role in normal organ development and function, a discovery by ... read more

July 31, 2015  Resettlement projects in the Amazon are driving severe tropical deforestation, according to new research. Widely hailed as a socially responsible and 'innocuous' strategy of land redistribution, ... read more

July 29, 2015  Viewing aquarium displays led to noticeable reductions in blood pressure and heart rate, a research team found in the first study of its kind. They also noted that higher numbers of fish helped to ... read more

July 31, 2015  A new study examines how consuming the concentrated extract of thylakoids found in spinach can reduce hunger and cravings. Thylakoids encourage the release of satiety hormones, which is very ... read more

July 30, 2015  The behavior of fruit flies, which are commonly used in laboratory experiments, is altered by electric fields, new research shows. The research indicates that the wings of the insects are disturbed ... read more

July 31, 2015  Starvation early in life can alter an organism for generations to come, according to a new study in nematodes. The epigenetic effects are a 'bet-hedging strategy.' Famine survivors are smaller and ... read more

July 31, 2015  The humble butterfly could hold the key to unlocking new techniques to make solar energy cheaper and more efficient, pioneering new research has shown. By mimicking the v-shaped posture adopted by ... read more